Malacanang said on Monday the Aquino administration was partly to be blamed for the culture of impunity now.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made the statement after Aquino wondered how President Rodrigo Duterte would separate human rights from human lives.

"As you know, the president goes by what he says. He is pursuing the drug war because he values human lives. If the construction of many is that human life is the same or forms part of human rights. Then so be it, that proves my point, the president is espousing, protecting, advancing human rights if you view human life as part human rights. No argument there," he said.

Duterte, in his recent State of the Nation Address, vowed to continue his "relentless and chilling" war against illegal drugs, noting that his critics' concern was "human rights, mine is human lives."

Aquino had questioned how Duterte distinguished human rights from human lives.

Roque said the Palace wished the Aquino administration should have done more in protecting human lives.

"Because it was during his administration too that the UN also noticed that we were in breach of our obligation to right to life especially on the killing of journalists as well...meaning, as a former [resident, he shares in...partly in the blame for this culture of impunity," he said.

The Duterte administration has been criticized for the increasing number of people who have been killed due to the war on drugs.

Since July 2016, over 4,300 drug suspects have been killed. Celerina Monte/DMS